A VOLUNTEER group says it was "horrified" after a brutal attack which left a teenager unconscious at Taylor Park.

Detectives appealed for information following a robbery which took place on the evening of Thursday, June 27.

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Officers were called to Taylor Park on Regents Road, close to the boathouse, at around 8.50pm to reports that a 17-year-old boy had been walking when he was approached by three offenders wearing black clothing, with their faces concealed.

They reportedly spoke with Liverpool accents.

They made threats and then the victim was punched, resulting in bruising to his face and head. He was briefly being left unconscious by the attack and was treated at hospital.

A Diem fishing rod, Diem fishing net and black North Face rucksack were stolen and the three suspects ran away.

The Friends of Taylor Park has expressed its horror after the robbery - but stressed it believes such incidents are "the exception rather than the rule".

Peter Yates, secretary of the Friends of Taylor Park, said: "I’m sure all the Friends, like the rest of the community, were horrified to hear of the brutal attack on a young angler.

"We’ve not had a huge number of similar incidents so this type of attack seems to be the exception rather than the rule and I don’t think the public should be over concerned about their general safety in Taylor Park.

"The Park, like most public spaces does experience relatively low level anti-social behaviour often associated with lighter nights, school holidays, weekends and warmer weather.

"Sadly the ability of the various agencies to deal with such issues has been seriously diminished because of the austerity regime forced on them."

Police issued an appeal after the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Sumner said: "This was a despicable and unprovoked attack and robbery on a lone teenager walking home after fishing.

"We all need to adopt an attitude of revulsion about groups like this, who prowl our parks and green spaces causing fear and distress to those who use them. We will do everything in our power to make these areas hostile for criminals to operate.

"There will have been people in the park at that time who saw this group, either before, during or after the attack, and we want to hear from them all. Whether you saw or heard anything, or captured a group matching this description on home CCTV, dashcam away from the park or on a mobile device, come forward and we will take positive action to identify those involved.

"I also want to implore anyone who has been offered these stolen items since last night, or seen them online or elsewhere, to do the right thing and tell us more. Working closely with our communities and partners, we can and will ensure that the green spaces of St Helens remain safe places to visit and enjoy at all times."

  • Anyone with information can contact @MerPolCC or 101 with reference 19100340591. People can also pass names or other information anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is completely independent of the police.